ing in triumph to the Capitol, one muft forget those who walked in triumph formerly to the same place; forget entirely that fuch men as Camillus, Scipio, Paulus Æmilius, and Pompey, ever exifted; they muft forget Cato, whofe campaign in Africa was fo much admired by Lucan, that he declares, he would rather have had the glory of that fingle campaign, than Pompey's three triumphs, and all the honour he obtained by finishing the Jugurthan war. Hunc ego per Syrtes, Libyæque extrema triumphum Ducere maluerim, quam ter Capitolia curru Scandere Pompeii, quam frangere colla Jugurthæ *. We must forget Caius Caffius, Marcus Brutus, and all the great and virtuous men • This triumph, this, on Libya's utmost bound, To Marius' mighty name, and great Jugurthine war. ROWE. of ancient Rome, whom we have admired from our childhood, and of whofe great qualities our admiration increafes with our experience and knowledge of the prefent race of mankind. To be in the Capitol, and not think and speak of the worthies of the ancient Republic, is almost impoffible. Quis te magne Cato tacitum; aut te Coffe relinquat? Quis Gracchi genus? aut geminos, duo fulmina belli, Scipiadas, &c. &c. *. What tongue, juft Cato, can thy praise forbear! } LETTER XXXIX. HA Rome. AVING faid fo much of St. Peter's, unquestionably the finest piece of modern architecture in Rome, allow me to mention fome of the best specimens of the ancient. I fhall begin with the Pantheon, which, though not the largest of the Roman temples, is the most perfect which now remains. The Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, and the Temple of Peace, if we may truft to the accounts we have of the firft, and to the ruins of the second, in the Campo Vaccino, were both much larger than the Pantheon. In fpite of the depredations which this last has fuftained from Goths, Vandals, and Popes, it ftill remains a beauteous monument of Roman tafte. The pavilion of the great altar, which ftands under the cupola in St. Peter's, and the four wreathed 1 pillars. pillars of Corinthian brafs which fupport it, were formed out of the fpoils of the Pantheon, which, after all, and with the weight of eight hundred years upon its head, has ftill a probability of outliving its proud rapacious rival. From the round form of this temple, it has obtained the name of Rotunda. Its height is a hundred and fifty feet, and its diameter nearly the fame. Within, it is divided into eight parts; the gate at which you enter forming one; the other feven compartments, if they may be fo called, are each of them diftinguished by two fluted Corinthian pillars, and as many pilafters of Giallo Antico. The capitals and bafes are of white marble; these fupport a circular entablature. The wall is perpendicular for half the height of the temple; it then flopes forward as it afcends, the circumference gradually diminishing, till it terminates in an opening of about twenty-five feet diameter. There are no windows; the central opening in the vault admitting a fufficiency fufficiency of light, has a much finer effect than windows could have had. No great inconveniency can happen from this opening. The conical form of the temple prevents the rain from falling near the walls where the altars now are, and where the ftatues of the Gods were formerly placed. The rain which falls in the middle immediately drills through holes which perforate a large piece of porphyry that forms the centre of the pavement, the whole of which confifts of various pieces of marble, agate, and other materials, which have been picked up from the ruins, and now compose a singular kind of Mosaic work. The portico was added by Marcus Agrippa, the fon-in-law of Auguftus. It is fupported by fixteen pillars of granite, five feet in diameter, and of a fingle piece each. Upon the frieze, in the front, is the following infcription in large capitals: M. AGRIPPA L. F. CONSUL TERTIUM FECIT*. Founded by Marcus Agrippa, the fon of Lucius, dur ing his third confulfhip. VOL. I. E e Some |